Hand stamp



W. J. HANLEY May 8,- 1962 HAND STAMP Fi led March 25, 1959 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. HANLEY M KM ATTORNEY May 1962 w. J.HANLEY 3,033,107

HAND STAMP Filed March 25, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 n5 m I48 12 47 us i I'74 FIGS 7 :75 I 3 so FIG. 7

CM A/M/ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,033,107 Patented May 8,1962 This invention relates to stamping devices and, more particularly,to stamping devices for use in handling postage stamps.

Canceling devices used by postal workers in canceling postage stampshave previously had a center date Wheel and a peripheral stamping diewhich had on it the name of the Post Office and the year. These diescarrying the name of the Post Otlice had to be changed each time thename of the Post Oflice was changed and since the dies were an integralpart of the stamp, the entire stamp had to be destroyed and a new oneobtained each time the name of the Post Office was changed. Also, at thebeginning of each year, a new stamp had to be obtained.

The present invention contemplates the use of a removable peripheralstamp in combination with a date wheel in a postage canceling devicewherein the name of the Post Office and the year can be removed andreplaced each time it is necessary to change them, thereby saving thecost of a new device.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to overcome thedisadvantages in previous stamping devices and, more particularly, it isan object of the present invention to provide a stamping device which issimple in construction, economical to manufacture, and simple andefficient to use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved postagecanceling device.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved devicefor canceling postage stamps.

A further object of the invention is to provide a stamp having acentrally disposed date wheel and a removable peripheral indiciacarrying die.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an improved stamp.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minordetails of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a stamping device taken on line 11of FIG. 3;

P16. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2-2 of PEG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a bottom View of the stamping device and the type thereon;

, FIG. 4 is a view of the indexing stick for use with the stampingdevice;

FIG. 5 is a longitudinal cross sectional view of another embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the device shown in FIG. 5; and

H6. 7 is a cross sectional view of another embodiment of the invention.

Now with more specific reference to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows astamping device 10 having a handle shank 11 with a wooden handle 12attached thereto. A ferrule 13 encases the small end of the handle 12.The handle 12 is bent in a hook like shape and terminates in a flange 59which is welded to the end of the shank 11. A body 14 is a generallycylindrical metallic member having a neck 46 integrally attachedthereto. The shank 11 extends through a bore 49 in a bushing support 15and through a rubber support collar 16 with the flange 5t) resting on ashock pad 17.

The upper inside surface of the neck 46 has a bore 64 which has internalthreads 47 which receive external threads 48 of the hollow cylindricalbushing support 15. The lower portion of the body 14 has externalthreads 44 and a bore 43 therein which defines a blind hold terminatingin a flat surface.

A date wheel assembly 24 includes a generally cylindrical drum shapedshaft 65 with holes 66 axially bored therethrough from end to end andoffset from the center. Spaced radial bores 67 are drilled into theshaft 65. The radial bores 67 contain springs 36 and spring urged detentballs 37. The date wheels comprise a month wheel 55, date of monthwheels 56 and 57, a blank spacer 62, an hour of day wheel 58, an am. orp.m. wheel 59, and year wheels 60 and 61. These wheels havelongitudinally extending, external peripheral spaced locking grooves 39and an internal bore having internal detent grooves 46. Type 68 isengraved in the form of the desired characters on the fiat surfaces ofthe date wheels. The date wheels are received on the shaft 65 concentricthereto and spacer washers 34 are positioned at each end of the shaft65. This assembly is supported inside the bore 43.

Pins 35 extend through holes 42 and 70 of the threaded portion 44 of thebody 14. The pins 35 pass into lateral bores 69 of the washers 34. Theholes 66 are lined up with the spaced lateral bores 69 and the pins 35pass through the shaft 65 andthrough the washer 34 and then into thehole 7% similar to the hole 42.

A back up ring 22 which is L-shaped in cross section has one leg of theL supported against a bottom surface 71 of the body 14 with a take uppad 33 fitting about the flange of the back up ring 22. The back up ring22 is L-shaped with one leg of the L lying along the end of the body 14and the other leg enclosed outwardly and partly overlying a filler ring20. Type letters 23 are arranged around the take up pad 33 with thefiller ring 20 occupying the spaces which are not used around thecanceling device.

The type letters or dies 23 are centered in position on the back up ring22 and a hole '54 is drilled through the filler ring 20, the take up pad33, and the flange of the back up ring 22 and into the flat bottom endsurface 71 of the body 14. The hole 54 receives a type positioning pin21 which locks the type dies 23 and the filler ring 20 in place. Sincethe type 23 may be made of individual letters or individual words, anycombination of dates and names can readily be set up on the device.

A hold down collar 18 has internal threads 45 which thread onto theexternal threads 44 and hold the back up ring 22, the take up pad 33,the type 23, and the filler ring 29 tightly in position. After thedevice is assembled, a hole 52 is drilled through the hold down collar18 and into the body 14 which receives an assembly locking pin 19. Thepin 19 will be driven into place and ground off flush with the outsidewall of the hold down collar 18, thereby locking the assembly in placeand preventing tampering with the type 23.

The date wheels are locked into place by a wheel lock bar 25 whichpasses through a wheel locking hole 41. The wheel lock bar 25 is anelongated member with dovetailed lower edges which have two parallelbeads or ridges which extend along the bottom surface of the wheel lockbar 25. These ridges are received in the date Wheels in locking grooves39 which, when assembled, lock the preferred type 68 in position. Thewheel lock bar 25 is inserted and withdrawn by the use of the wheel lockhandle 3 38. Detent notches 31 and 32 are machined into the uppersurface of the wheel lock bar 25. The notches 31 and 32 will receive aball 30 of a detent assembly 26.

The detent assembly 26 is made up of a lock nut 27 threaded on a setscrew 28. The set screw '28 has a bore 53 therein which contains aspring 29. The ball 30 is confined in the lower portion of the bore 53by downward pressure from the spring 29. The ball 30 is held in check bya small flange about the end of the set screw 28. The lock nut 27 istightened down on the set screw 28 in a counterbore 51.

To reset the date wheel assembly 24, the wheel lock bar 25 is withdrawnuntil the detent ball 30 drops into the notch 32. This will hold thewheel lock bar 25 in a locking slot 41 but it will still be free fromthe date wheels. An index stick 63 is used to turn the date wheels aboutto the desired type 68. The wheel lock bar 25 is then slid back into theslot 41 until the ball 30 drops into the notch 31, thereby holding thewheel lock bar 25 in position.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. and 6, a post marker110 having a handle shank 111, a body 114, and a handle support 115 isshown. The handle support 115 holds a collar 116 against the handleshank 111 and, in turn, holds it in a counterbore 164 against a shockpad 117.

A hold down collar 118 functions the same as the hold down collar 18 inthe embodiment shown in FIG. 1. A wheel lock 125 engages peripheral,spaced, axially extending grooves 139 in the date wheels. Spacers 134are supported at the ends of the date wheels which hold them in spacedrelation in a counterbore 143 in the body 114 and the wheel lock 125extends into a wheel lock recess 141 in each of the spacers 134. Thehold down collar 118 has internal threads 145 which engage externalthreads 144 on the body 114. -In this embodiment, the lock 125 is heldin place by means of a radially movable lock bar instead of the axiallymovable bar 25 shown in FIG. 1.

A neck 146 has external threads 174 which are engaged by the internalthreads on a lock nut 175. The lock nut 175 has a lower peripheralsurface which engages locking pins 173 and urges them downwardly toforce the wheel lock 125 down into the groove 139 in the periphery 168of the date wheels. The pins 173 are freely movable inwardly andoutwardly in bores 172 in the body 114. When the lock nut 175 isloosened, the pins 173 will move outwardly to allow the wheel lock 125to move out of the grooves 139.

The handle shank 111 has a flange 150 on the end thereof which engagesthe shock pad 117 and the handle shank 111 passes through a bore 149 inthe handle support 115.

The date wheel assembly has the date wheels which consist of a wheel 155for the month, wheels 156 and 157 for the date, a wheel 153 for thetime, a wheel 159 for am. or pm, and wheels 160 and 161 for the year.The numeral 162 represents a blank wheel which will indicate a space.The wheels are all supported on the outer periphery of a drum shapedshaft 165 which is supported on pins like the pins 35 in FIG. 1.

in the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7, the wheel lock isactuated by means of a radially movable bar 225 actuated by a screw 2Z6.Wheels 255 to 262 have peripheries which rotate on a solid axis. A postmarker 210 is shown having a body 214 with a hold down collar 218 whichhas internal threads 245 which engage external threads 244 on the body214. A die 223 is held in place by aback up ring 222 and a date wheelassembly 224 is supported on the drum 265 which has holes 266 thereinwhich receive date wheel assembly pins 235. The pins 235 extend upthrough holes 269 in the spacers and holes 270 and 242 in the body 214.A lower edge 271 of the body 214 engages the upper side of the back upring 222 and holds it in position and a take up pad 233 is supportedbetween the die 223 and the back up ring 222.

The drum 265 has axially spaced bores 267 which receive detent springs236 and detent balls 237. The balls 237 engage notches 240 on the insideof the wheels 255, 256, 257, 253, 259, 260, 261, and 262 which are forthe purpose of supporting the date, the time of the day, and the year onthe date wheel assembly.

The wheel lock bar 225 is supported at its ends in spacers 234 and inwheel lock recesses 241 therein. The peripheries of the wheels 255 to262 have peripherally spaced grooves therein which receive the loweredge of the wheel lock bar 225 and springs 22) urge the wheel lock bar225 away from the date wheels. The springs 229 are inserted throughbores 276 in the spacers 234.

A threaded bore 272 of the body 214 receives the detent screw 226 whichhas a head 228 thereon. The lower end of the detent screw 226 engagesthe top of the wheel lock bar 225. Therefore, when the detent screw 226is loosened, the springs 229 will move the detent lock bar 225 away fromthe date wheels so that they can be reset. Then when they are reset atthe proper position, the screw 226 can be tightened to lock the wheelsin this position.

The entire assembly of the date wheels and the spacers 234 is receivedin a counterbore 243.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A postage canceling device comprising a body, a bore in said body, aplurality of date wheels rotatably supported in said bore, a back upring around the periphery of said bore and attached to said body, saidback up ring being L-shaped in cross section, one leg of said L lyingagainst the end of said body and the other leg extending outwardly, afiller member having a Post Oflice name on it supported in said L-shapedback up ring, and a collar on said body overlying said filler member andkeeping it in said back up ring, said date wheels havingcircumferentially spaced, axially extending grooves in the peripherythereof, a locking bar radially movable out of said grooves, and meansurging said bar into said grooves.

2. A stamp comprising a hollow body, a date wheel in said body, a partof the peripheral edge of said date wheel extending out from the openend of said hollow body, two lateral bores through said bodyintersecting the hollow therein, pins extending through said bores androtatably supporting said date Wheel, said date wheel havinglongitudinal grooves in the periphery thereof, and an axially movablelocking bar extending through said body, said bar engaging a said groovein said wheel whereby said wheel is locked against rotation, a back upring around the periphery of said body concentric to the hollow therein,said back up ring being L-shaped in cross section, one leg of said Llying against the end of said body and the other leg extendingoutwardly, a filler member having a Post Office name thereon supportedin said L-shaped back up ring, and a collar on said body overlying saidfiller member and keeping it in said back up ring.

3. The stamp recited in claim 2 wherein said date wheel is supported onsaid pins by means of a drum, said drum having spaced bores thereinreceiving said pins, said drum being received in said date wheelconcentric thereto, a radial bore in said drum having a spring loadeddetent therein, an internal bore in said date wheel, and internallyperipherally spaced notches in said internal bore, said detent engagingsaid notches whereby said date wheel can be rotated and stopped atpredetermined positions.

4. A stamp comprising a hollow body, a date wheel in said body, a partof the peripheral edge of said date wheel extending out from the openend of said hollow body, two lateral bores through said bodyintersecting the hollow therein, pins extending through said bores androtatably supporting said date wheel, said date wheel havinglongitudinal grooves in the periphery thereof, an axially movablelocking bar extending through said body, said bar engaging two saidgrooves in said wheel whereby said wheel is locked against rotation, aback up ring supported on the end of said body, a clamping ring attachedto said body and spaced from said back up ring, and indicia membersbetween said back up ring and said clamping ring.

5. A stamp comprising a hollow body, a date wheel in said body, a partof the peripheral edge of said date wheel extending out from the openend of said hollow body, two lateral bores through said bodyintersecting the hollow therein, pins extending through said bores androtatably supporting said date wheel, said date wheel havinglongitudinal grooves in the periphery thereof, a locking bar extendingthrough said body, said bar engaging two said grooves in said wheelwhereby said wheel is locked against rotation, said bar being movableradially of said date wheel to move out of said grooves, and means toforce said locking bar into said grooves to lock said date wheel inposition, a back up ring around the periphery of said body concentric tothe hollow therein, said back up ring being L-shaped in cross section,one leg of said L lying against the end of said body and the other legextending outwardly, a filler member having a post oflice name thereonsupported in said L-shaped back up ring, and a collar on said bodyoverlying said filler member and keeping it in said back up ring.

6. A stamp comprising a hollow body, a date wheel in said body, a partof the peripheral edge of said date wheel extending out from the openend of said hollow body, two lateral bores through said bodyintersecting the hollow therein, pins extending through said bores androtatably supporting said date wheel, said date wheel havinglongitudinal grooves in the periphery thereof, a locking bar extendingthrough said body, said bar engaging two said grooves in said wheelwhereby said wheel is locked against rotation, said bar being movableradially of said date Wheel to move out of said grooves, and means toforce said locking bar into said grooves to lock said date wheel inposition, said means to force said locking bar into said groovescomprising a collar threadably supported on said body and pins slidablein said body and engaging said locking bar, forcing said locking barinto engagement with said grooves in said date wheel, said collar beingmovable away from said pins to allow said locking bar to move out ofsaid grooves in said date wheel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS508,865 Burgess Nov. 14, 1893 1,179,979 Troup Apr. 18, 1916 2,506,729Morin May 9, 1950 2,708,403 Hanson et al. May 17, 1955 2,737,113 RouanMar. 6, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 94,562 Sweden Feb. 9, 1939

